Six at-large Montgomery County Council candidates boast six-figure war chests in run-up to primary

A half-dozen contenders in the crowded primary field for County Council at-large have $100,000 or more in their campaign treasuries as the June 26 primary approaches, according to disclosure reports that were due midnight Tuesday at the State Board of Elections. A majority of those six candidates are participants in the county’s new public campaign financing system. (Bethesda)

Alec Ross has been a lot of things: a night-shift janitor, a Baltimore school teacher, a technology expert in the Obama administration and a best-selling author. Now he wants to be Maryland’s governor. The Baltimore resident was unknown in Maryland politics when he launched his campaign last summer, but Ross says his eclectic career path will make him a more inventive governor than the six major Democrats he hopes to defeat in the June 26 primary. (Balt. Sun)

Democrats running for Maryland governor pledging to support a state individual mandate for health care

The seven major Democrats running for Maryland governor have all signed a pledge to support a plan to shore up Obamacare if they are elected, health care advocates said Wednesday. Representatives from the campaigns were expected to announce their support for the plan at an 11 a.m. event Wednesday at the Episcopal Diocesan Center in Baltimore, according to Vincent DeMarco, president of Health Care for All. (Balt. Sun)

Prince George’s County Council member Karen R. Toles and former state delegate Gerron S. Levi have been endorsed by the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO in their bids for two new at-large seats on the county council. Toles, who has served two terms on the county council, and Levi, a federal lobbyist, are among 10 candidates vying for the two new at-large seats, which were created by a 2016 ballot measure. (Wash. Post)

In the race to become the next Baltimore County executive, Democrats are raising and spending much more money than Republicans. As the June 26 primaries approach, Democratic candidate Jim Brochin has spent nearly $800,000 on television and radio ads, campaign finance reports filed Tuesday show. He had $61,000 in the bank. Brochin, a state senator from Cockeysville, began airing radio ads last week and TV commercials this week. (Balt. Sun)

Blair spending big, but Berliner has most cash on hand in Montgomery County executive race

Potomac businessman David Blair is pouring his own money into his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Montgomery County executive and aggressively spending it. Since March, the multimillionaire Democrat and former executive of a prescription drug contracting company has loaned his campaign $1.6 million, which he has used to bolster his account after spending $1.7 million on his campaign from mid-January through May 15. (Bethesda)

Gardner, Afzali lead fundraising in Frederick County executive race as council candidates increase coffers

Delegate Kathy Afzali continues to maintain the largest bankroll among Frederick County executive candidates, but current County Executive Jan Gardner (D) has raised more money thus far. Afzali (R-District 4) received more than $30,000 in the period between Jan. 11 and May 15, and currently holds a cash balance of more than $111,000. Afzali carries a $20,000 balance from a loan she made to her own campaign last year. (News-Post)

Friedson maintains fundraising lead in race for Bethesda-based District 1 County Council seat

Andrew Friedson, a former adviser to state Comptroller Peter Franchot, has maintained his fundraising lead in the District 1 Montgomery County Council race and has more than double the campaign cash of his closest competitor, according to financial disclosure reports. Friedson reported having $245,300 in cash on hand in the latest campaign finance report filed with the state Board of Elections by the deadline Tuesday night. (Bethesda)